In China, the longest ultrahigh-voltage power line stretches more than 2,000 miles from the far northwest to the populous southeast

 In China, the longest ultrahigh-voltage power line stretches more than 2,000 miles from the far northwest to the populous southeast — the equivalent of transmitting electricity from Idaho to New York City.

The line starts at solar panel

farms in Xinjiang, one of the

sunniest regions in China...

Beijing

Dunhuang

Lanzhou

Populated areas

Luoyang

CHINA

Shanghai

Chengdu

... and ends in Anhui,

powering major cities

along the coast.

Guangzhou

200 miles

Sources: Chinese state media, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

By Agnes Chang and Pablo Robles

The power line starts in a remote desert in northwest China, where vast arrays of solar panels and wind turbines generate electricity on a monumental scale. It snakes southeast, following an ancient river between mountain ranges before reaching Anhui Province near Shanghai, home to 61 million people and some of China’s most successful electric car and robot manufacturers.